


All I Wanna Do

by thinlizzy2



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Closure, Female Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:02:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23243719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thinlizzy2/pseuds/thinlizzy2
Summary: Not for the first time, Kath marvelled at how safe she always felt with Catherine. They were a generation apart, but right from the beginning it was like they had just had a connection.Two of Henry's former queens connect in a new world filled with new possibilities.
Relationships: Catherine of Aragon & Katherine Howard
Comments: 5
Kudos: 102
Collections: All The Nice Things Flash Exchange 2020





	All I Wanna Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shrineofstones](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shrineofstones/gifts).



Katherine Howard shouted out a goodbye to her friends and raced down the school steps to her bike. As she unlocked it, she could feel the eyes of several boys on her. As usual. She noticed a couple of them sniggering and pointing at her, probably joking that she was hurrying of somewhere to get laid and remarking that they couldn't wait until it was their turn with her. In the past, Kath would have said something to them, snapping that they'd be waiting a damn long time. But at the ripe old age of fifteen, she knew that any attention from her at all just encouraged them. And so there was no point.

But it didn't bother her the way it used to. She'd just let them be wrong about her. Most people were.

Catherine Aragon smiled as Kath swung open the doors. She raised her eyebrows as she glanced at the clock. "You're early again."

Kath shrugged. She knew most people wouldn't exactly consider volunteering at an emergency shelter for abused women and children to be something to rush towards, even if they valued the work. But her shifts at Pomegranate House had become the highlights of her week, and she was always genuinely excited to be there. "I didn't feel like stopping for coffee. I can just get started now, if you've got things for me to do."

Her supervisor grinned at the girl's enthusiasm. "I've got a load of sheets and towels in the dryer that'll need distributing, but they'll take another twenty minutes. Since you didn't get coffee, do you feel like a cup of tea?"

Kath could feel herself beaming. She loved the opportunities to sit and chat with Catherine. Most adults had a tendency to treat Kath like a pretty doll - charming and sweet but not much good for anything but looking at. Aside, of course, from the creepy ones who tried to play with her. But Catherine talked to her like she was an equal and Kath adored that. "Sounds fantastic."

Catherine always took great care with the tea - measuring out the leaves and carefully removing the infuser at what she deemed to be exactly the perfect time. She laid everything out in her private tea set; the beautiful gold-rimmed cups and delicate china spoons had always struck Kath as the very height of elegance. She wondered, not for the first time, if Catherine came from money. Something about her always seemed posh. But there was an unspoken rule at Pomegranate House. No one asked about anyone's past. If people wanted to talk, that was their choice. Otherwise, respecting people's privacy was the norm.

The two of them settled in at the break table. Kath took a sip and smiled. "It's so good."

"From Spain", Catherine told her. "My sister sent it."

Kath sighed. "I'd love to go to Spain someday." Catherine's English was flawless and she barely had a trace of an accent; Kath knew that she'd come to the UK when she was very young, although she didn't know why her sister was still back there. "Do you think you'll ever go back?"

Catherine just shrugged. "I visit from time to time, but my life is here now. And I don't ever want to live too far away from Mary; I like being able to see her whenever I want. It's nice that you want to go though; it's a beautiful country."

"I want to study Flamenco." Kath had never admitted that to anyone before. It sounded too silly - a middle class girl from South London with such weird esoteric goals. But for some reason, she trusted Catherine not to judge her.

And her encouraging smile was anything but judgemental. "Music or dance?"

Kath felt her face growing hot. She ducked her head to hide her reddening cheeks. "Dance. I had a... bad experience with music classes once. It turned me off of them."

That was putting it mildly. She'd been so excited to study music, and so grateful that her Granny had agreed to pay for her lessons. And at first, it had been wonderful. But then Henry Mannox, that asshole who had somehow been _recommended_ to them as a guitar teacher, has started looking at her strangely. That was followed by him closing the door to her room when they practiced, finding excuses to touch her even after she told him to stop. It had never gone beyond that. Kath had told her grandmother and Mannox had been fired within the hour. Kath had left him _scathing_ reviews on every platform she could find, essentially shutting down his business. But the whole thing had made her feel so weird, and her Granny had felt so bad about even letting the man in the house to begin with, that the whole idea was dropped.

She still had her dance lessons, and she loved dancing. It didn't even matter that the boys at school always made jokes about her ending up at a topless bar someday. She was good at it, and she adored it. But she sometimes thought she could have adored music too, if she'd had the chance.

Catherine was regarding her closely. "Honey? Do you want to talk about it?"

Kath just shook her head. And let out a sigh of relief when Catherine did the most Catherinesque thing imaginable, and respected her choice.

"If you ever change your mind, I'm here. And I think you'd be an amazing Flamenco dancer. If you like, I can ask my sister if she knows any good schools. She's pretty well-connected."

Kath beamed up at her. "I would love that! Thank you!"

The two of them sat in companionable silence for a moment. Not for the first time, Kath marvelled at how safe she always felt with Catherine. They were a generation apart, but right from the beginning it was like they had just had a connection. She genuinely treasured the other woman's friendship.

Kath finished her tea. "I'll get started on those sheets", she promised. "And then, if it's okay with you, I thought I could read to some of the kids. I went to the library and I borrowed **The Little Princess.** It was my favourite book when I was younger."

Catherine nodded. "That sounds absolutely wonderful. They'll love it." She paused. "And Kath? No pressure at all, if you want to say no. But I studied piano quite a bit as a girl. It's been ages, but if you'd like it maybe I can teach you a bit. If you have time."

Kath felt her lower lip wobbling. "You'd do that for me? Why?"

Catherine laughed. "It's no sacrifice! I _like_ spending time with you!" She squeezed Kath's hand gently. "My Mary is wonderful, of course. But I would have loved to have more kids. A house full of daughters would have been just perfect for me."

"Did you ever try?" As soon as the words were out, Kath could have kicked herself. She had no business getting so personal, and she knew it.

But Catherine didn't seem to mind. "Oh yes. My ex and I tried quite a bit. And then he decided to try his luck with someone else."

"I'm so sorry." Kath couldn't imagine anyone being stupid enough to leave Catherine.

"Don't be. He... wasn't very nice to he at the end. He wasn't very nice to the girl who came after me either, from what I understand. It was hard at the time, but ultimately Mary and I are both better off without him."

Kath nodded. "Then I'm glad you're free."

"So I am." Catherine's smile was wistful but genuine. "I suppose we all have our reasons for working here, don't we?"

"I love it here", Kath confided in her. "I really feel like I'm helping, and also it just really helps me somehow. You know what I mean?"

"Absolutely." Catherine gave Kath a gentle hug, and the girl relaxed into it immediately. "Beyond any shadow of a doubt." 

Kath smiled up at her. "Somehow, I knew you'd understand."


End file.
